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NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | OPTIONS | EXAMPLES | EXIT STATUS | SEE ALSO | AUTHORS | COPYRIGHT | BUGS | COLOPHON |
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p11tool(1) User Commands p11tool(1)
p11tool - GnuTLS PKCS #11 tool
p11tool [-flags] [-flag [value]] [--option-name[[=| ]value]] [url]
Operands and options may be intermixed. They will be reordered.
Program that allows operations on PKCS #11 smart cards and
security modules.
To use PKCS #11 tokens with GnuTLS the p11-kit configuration files
need to be setup. That is create a .module file in
/etc/pkcs11/modules with the contents 'module:
/path/to/pkcs11.so'. Alternatively the configuration file
/etc/gnutls/pkcs11.conf has to exist and contain a number of lines
of the form 'load=/usr/lib/opensc-pkcs11.so'.
You can provide the PIN to be used for the PKCS #11 operations
with the environment variables GNUTLS_PIN and GNUTLS_SO_PIN.
Tokens
--list-tokens List all available tokens.
--list-token-urls List the URLs available tokens.
This is a more compact version of --list-tokens.
--list-mechanisms List all available mechanisms in a token.
--initialize Initializes a PKCS #11 token.
--initialize-pin Initializes/Resets a PKCS #11 token user PIN.
--initialize-so-pin Initializes/Resets a PKCS #11 token security
officer PIN.
This initializes the security officer's PIN. When used
non-interactively use the GNUTLS_NEW_SO_PIN environment variables
to initialize SO's PIN.
--set-pin=str Specify the PIN to use on token operations.
Alternatively the GNUTLS_PIN environment variable may be used.
--set-so-pin=str Specify the Security Officer's PIN to use on
token initialization.
Alternatively the GNUTLS_SO_PIN environment variable may be used.
Object listing
--list-all List all available objects in a token.
All objects available in the token will be listed. That includes
objects which are potentially unaccessible using this tool.
--list-all-certs List all available certificates in a token.
That option will also provide more information on the
certificates, for example, expand the attached extensions in a
trust token (like p11-kit-trust).
--list-certs List all certificates that have an associated private
key.
That option will only display certificates which have a private
key associated with them (share the same ID).
--list-all-privkeys List all available private keys in a token.
Lists all the private keys in a token that match the specified
URL.
--list-privkeys This is an alias for the --list-all-privkeys
option.
--list-keys This is an alias for the --list-all-privkeys option.
--list-all-trusted List all available certificates marked as
trusted.
--export Export the object specified by the URL. This option must
not appear in combination with any of the following options:
export-stapled, export-chain, export-pubkey.
--export-stapled Export the certificate object specified by the
URL. This option must not appear in combination with any of the
following options: export, export-chain, export-pubkey.
Exports the certificate specified by the URL while including any
attached extensions to it. Since attached extensions are a
p11-kit extension, this option is only available on p11-kit
registered trust modules.
--export-chain Export the certificate specified by the URL and its
chain of trust. This option must not appear in combination with
any of the following options: export-stapled, export, export-
pubkey.
Exports the certificate specified by the URL and generates its
chain of trust based on the stored certificates in the module.
--export-pubkey Export the public key for a private key. This
option must not appear in combination with any of the following
options: export-stapled, export, export-chain.
Exports the public key for the specified private key
--info List information on an available object in a token.
--trusted This is an alias for the --mark-trusted option.
--distrusted This is an alias for the --mark-distrusted option.
Key generation
--generate-privkey=str Generate private-public key pair of given
type.
Generates a private-public key pair in the specified token.
Acceptable types are RSA, ECDSA, Ed25519, and DSA. Should be
combined with --sec-param or --bits.
--generate-rsa Generate an RSA private-public key pair.
Generates an RSA private-public key pair on the specified token.
Should be combined with --sec-param or --bits.
NOTE: THIS OPTION IS DEPRECATED
--generate-dsa Generate a DSA private-public key pair.
Generates a DSA private-public key pair on the specified token.
Should be combined with --sec-param or --bits.
NOTE: THIS OPTION IS DEPRECATED
--generate-ecc Generate an ECDSA private-public key pair.
Generates an ECDSA private-public key pair on the specified token.
Should be combined with --curve, --sec-param or --bits.
NOTE: THIS OPTION IS DEPRECATED
--bits=num Specify the number of bits for the key generate. This
option takes an integer number as its argument.
For applications which have no key-size restrictions the
--sec-param option is recommended, as the sec-param levels will
adapt to the acceptable security levels with the new versions of
gnutls.
--curve=str Specify the curve used for EC key generation.
Supported values are secp192r1, secp224r1, secp256r1, secp384r1
and secp521r1.
--sec-param=security parameter Specify the security level.
This is alternative to the bits option. Available options are
[low, legacy, medium, high, ultra].
Writing objects
--set-id=str Set the CKA_ID (in hex) for the specified by the URL
object. This option must not appear in combination with any of
the following options: write.
Modifies or sets the CKA_ID in the specified by the URL object.
The ID should be specified in hexadecimal format without a '0x'
prefix.
--set-label=str Set the CKA_LABEL for the specified by the URL
object. This option must not appear in combination with any of
the following options: write, set-id.
Modifies or sets the CKA_LABEL in the specified by the URL object
--write Writes the loaded objects to a PKCS #11 token.
It can be used to write private, public keys, certificates or
secret keys to a token. Must be combined with one of
--load-privkey, --load-pubkey, --load-certificate option.
When writing a certificate object, its CKA_ID is set to the same
CKA_ID of the corresponding public key, if it exists on the token;
otherwise it will be derived from the X.509 Subject Key Identifier
of the certificate. If this behavior is undesired, write the
public key to the token beforehand.
--delete Deletes the objects matching the given PKCS #11 URL.
--label=str Sets a label for the write operation.
--id=str Sets an ID for the write operation.
Sets the CKA_ID to be set by the write operation. The ID should be
specified in hexadecimal format without a '0x' prefix.
--mark-wrap, --no-mark-wrap Marks the generated key to be a
wrapping key. The no-mark-wrap form will disable the option.
Marks the generated key with the CKA_WRAP flag.
--mark-trusted, --no-mark-trusted Marks the object to be written
as trusted. This option must not appear in combination with any
of the following options: mark-distrusted. The no-mark-trusted
form will disable the option.
Marks the object to be generated/written with the CKA_TRUST flag.
--mark-distrusted When retrieving objects, it requires the objects
to be distrusted. This option must not appear in combination with
any of the following options: mark-trusted.
Ensures that the objects retrieved have the CKA_X_TRUST flag.
This is p11-kit trust module extension, thus this flag is only
valid with p11-kit registered trust modules.
--mark-decrypt, --no-mark-decrypt Marks the object to be written
for decryption. The no-mark-decrypt form will disable the option.
Marks the object to be generated/written with the CKA_DECRYPT flag
set to true.
--mark-sign, --no-mark-sign Marks the object to be written for
signature generation. The no-mark-sign form will disable the
option.
Marks the object to be generated/written with the CKA_SIGN flag
set to true.
--mark-ca, --no-mark-ca Marks the object to be written as a CA.
The no-mark-ca form will disable the option.
Marks the object to be generated/written with the
CKA_CERTIFICATE_CATEGORY as CA.
--mark-private, --no-mark-private Marks the object to be written
as private. The no-mark-private form will disable the option.
Marks the object to be generated/written with the CKA_PRIVATE
flag. The written object will require a PIN to be used.
--ca This is an alias for the --mark-ca option.
--private This is an alias for the --mark-private option.
--mark-always-authenticate, --no-mark-always-authenticate Marks
the object to be written as always authenticate. The
no-mark-always-authenticate form will disable the option.
Marks the object to be generated/written with the
CKA_ALWAYS_AUTHENTICATE flag. The written object will Mark the
object as requiring authentication (pin entry) before every
operation.
--secret-key=str Provide a hex encoded secret key.
This secret key will be written to the module if --write is
specified.
--load-privkey=file Private key file to use.
--load-pubkey=file Public key file to use.
--load-certificate=file Certificate file to use.
Other options
-d num, --debug=num Enable debugging. This option takes an
integer number as its argument. The value of num is constrained
to being:
in the range 0 through 9999
Specifies the debug level.
--outfile=str Output file.
--login, --no-login Force (user) login to token. The no-login
form will disable the option.
--so-login, --no-so-login Force security officer login to token.
The no-so-login form will disable the option.
Forces login to the token as security officer (admin).
--admin-login This is an alias for the --so-login option.
--test-sign Tests the signature operation of the provided object.
It can be used to test the correct operation of the signature
operation. If both a private and a public key are available this
operation will sign and verify the signed data.
--sign-params=str Sign with a specific signature algorithm.
This option can be combined with --test-sign, to sign with a
specific signature algorithm variant. The only option supported is
'RSA-PSS', and should be specified in order to use RSA-PSS
signature on RSA keys.
--hash=str Hash algorithm to use for signing.
This option can be combined with test-sign. Available hash
functions are SHA1, RMD160, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512, SHA3-224,
SHA3-256, SHA3-384, SHA3-512.
--generate-random=num Generate random data. This option takes an
integer number as its argument.
Asks the token to generate a number of bytes of random bytes.
-8, --pkcs8 Use PKCS #8 format for private keys.
--inder, --no-inder Use DER/RAW format for input. The no-inder
form will disable the option.
Use DER/RAW format for input certificates and private keys.
--inraw This is an alias for the --inder option.
--outder, --no-outder Use DER format for output certificates,
private keys, and DH parameters. The no-outder form will disable
the option.
The output will be in DER or RAW format.
--outraw This is an alias for the --outder option.
--provider=file Specify the PKCS #11 provider library.
This will override the default options in /etc/gnutls/pkcs11.conf
--provider-opts=str Specify parameters for the PKCS #11 provider
library.
This is a PKCS#11 internal option used by few modules.
Mainly for testing PKCS#11 modules.
NOTE: THIS OPTION IS DEPRECATED
--detailed-url, --no-detailed-url Print detailed URLs. The
no-detailed-url form will disable the option.
--only-urls Print a compact listing using only the URLs.
--batch Disable all interaction with the tool.
In batch mode there will be no prompts, all parameters need to be
specified on command line.
-v arg, --version=arg Output version of program and exit. The
default mode is `v', a simple version. The `c' mode will print
copyright information and `n' will print the full copyright
notice.
-h, --help Display usage information and exit.
-!, --more-help Pass the extended usage information through a
pager.
To view all tokens in your system use:
$ p11tool --list-tokens
To view all objects in a token use:
$ p11tool --login --list-all "pkcs11:TOKEN-URL"
To store a private key and a certificate in a token run:
$ p11tool --login --write "pkcs11:URL" --load-privkey key.pem --label "Mykey"
$ p11tool --login --write "pkcs11:URL" --load-certificate cert.pem --label "Mykey"
Note that some tokens require the same label to be used for
the certificate and its corresponding private key.
To generate an RSA private key inside the token use:
$ p11tool --login --generate-privkey rsa --bits 1024 --label "MyNewKey" --outfile MyNewKey.pub "pkcs11:TOKEN-URL"
The bits parameter in the above example is explicitly set
because some tokens only support limited choices in the bit
length. The output file is the corresponding public key.
This key can be used to general a certificate request with
certtool.
certtool --generate-request --load-privkey "pkcs11:KEY-URL" --load-pubkey MyNewKey.pub --outfile request.pem
One of the following exit values will be returned:
0 (EXIT_SUCCESS) Successful program execution.
1 (EXIT_FAILURE) The operation failed or the command syntax was
not valid.
certtool(1)
Copyright (C) 2020-2023 Free Software Foundation, and others all
rights reserved. This program is released under the terms of the
GNU General Public License, version 3 or later
Please send bug reports to: bugs@gnutls.org
This page is part of the GnuTLS (GnuTLS Transport Layer Security
Library) project. Information about the project can be found at
⟨http://www.gnutls.org/⟩. If you have a bug report for this
manual page, send it to bugs@gnutls.org. This page was obtained
from the tarball fetched from
⟨https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnutls/⟩ on 2025-08-11. If you
discover any rendering problems in this HTML version of the page,
or you believe there is a better or more up-to-date source for the
page, or you have corrections or improvements to the information
in this COLOPHON (which is not part of the original manual page),
send a mail to man-pages@man7.org
3.8.10 09 Jul 2025 p11tool(1)
Pages that refer to this page: certtool(1), tpmtool(1)
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HTML rendering created 2025-09-06 by Michael Kerrisk, author of The Linux Programming Interface. For details of in-depth Linux/UNIX system programming training courses that I teach, look here. Hosting by jambit GmbH. |
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